Talia was sitting in a booth of a fancy steakhouse, next to Damon, and pinching herself secretly under the table, to confirm this was not a dream.
She would never imagine that she will find herself in a place like this, with Alpha Damon.
The steakhouse had dimmed lights and a wooden interior that gave a feel of a hunter's lodge. The walls were decorated with big photos of humans with guns and animals they hunted, and the chandeliers were made out of antlers.
The local radio station played country music and it all looked like a different dimension from the modern world outside which was made out of concrete and metal.
A waiter took their orders for drinks and left two menus on the table.
Talia was on the second page when her mind drifted to earlier that morning.
After the hospital, Talia thought that Damon will drive them back to the packhouse of the Dark Howlers pack, or maybe go to wherever Damon needs to go, but he parked the car in a public parking lot and the two of them spent the next two hours in the city park.
The pebbled path was bordered with pale pink bricks on each side, there were benches along the way, and the perfectly trimmed green lawn was livened up by an occasional patch of colorful flowers. Tall trees provided frequent shade for the visitors and there was a pond with ducks who were fighting over breadcrumbs that humans threw at them.
The well-maintained park was a serene oasis in the middle of the city, with only one noisy corner that vibrated with children's laughter and squeals as they enjoyed the play area.
Damon and Talia walked in pleasant silence, and he didn't let go of her hand when he bought blue-colored cotton candy from the vendor that had a stall next to the water fountain.
Talia never saw anything like it before. It was light and puffy like a cloud on a stick, sweeter than sugar while giving away a faint scent of blueberries.
"What about you?", Talia asked when she realized that Damon got only one.
Damon moved like a flash and pinched a piece of the cotton candy she was holding.
"This will do.", he said before giving her a wink and stuffing the treat into his mouth.
It was the first time for Talia to see the playful side of Damon, and his smile reached his eyes, making him approachable.
During that time, he was not Alpha Damon, but he was Damon. Just Damon.
"Do you know what you want for lunch?"
Damon's question pulled Talia into reality from her thoughts about their park visit.
It took her a moment to realize that a tall and slim man was standing next to their table with a notepad in his hand, obviously waiting for their order.
"Not really.", Talia responded honestly. "Everything looks delicious."
She didn't look much at the menu, but she saw that there are several pages that were filled to the brim. Names of dishes were listed, which didn't mean much to Talia, and the prices were not there.
Damon noticed that Talia was spacing out and he couldn't believe that she was doing that in his presence. All women (human and she-wolves) are always trying to get his attention, utilizing every second to impress him, yet here was Talia… sitting with him in one of the most expensive restaurants in town, just the two of them, and her mind was somewhere else. Unbelievable!
Again, Talia proved that she is different than any other woman Damon met.
Damon glanced at the waiter. "You heard my lady. Give us a sampler of everything."
Talia was flustered. What was that, 'MY lady'? And what did he mean by, 'sampler of everything'? The menu was huge!
But the waiter was gone already, and Talia could only helplessly look after the man.
Damon chuckled. "Don't make such a face. Two doctors said you are underweight. We will fix that."
At the mention of doctors, Damon's mood fell. "Don't think about Dr. Jones. I will ask Travis to find you another nutritionist."
"No need.", Talia said quickly earning her a raised eyebrow from Damon.
She fidgeted for a bit before explaining, "I looked it up on the internet. Balanced meals are not a big deal. As long as I follow basic guidelines and have vitamins that Doctor Travis prescribed for me, I will be fine."
She saw not only recommendations but also recipes and videos which showed how to make various dishes. It looked easy, as long as she had the ingredients and access to the kitchen.
Damon was not happy about this. "You should consult a professional."
"Can you give me four weeks? If I don't gain weight, I will see any doctor you pick."
Damon was surprised by this request. People either accept his demands or risk facing his wrath. That's how things go, but Talia was set on opposing him. Or was she testing his limits?
"Mrs. Blake, are you negotiating with me?"
Talia's face exploded in a blush. "Can you not call me like that? I know it's a joke, but you might slip when someone else is nearby and it will get me in trouble."
Damon nodded faintly while thinking that it's a joke, for now. "I called you Mrs. Blake because only Luna gets to talk back to the Alpha."
Talia was not sure if she should believe him. Surely, someone else will voice their thoughts if they disagree with him. Right?
She wondered if she should apologize.
"Two weeks.", Damon said, and it took Talia a moment to understand that he agreed to give her a chance to increase her weight on her own.
Talia was about to thank him, but then she remembered that there is one more thing.
"About that... Can you approve my request to help in the kitchen? My hands are not aching anymore and instead of me explaining to Stephanie or someone else what I should eat, I can make my own meals."
Damon poked his cheek with his tongue while scrutinizing Talia.
Her request made sense. Talia's bruises are barely visible, and she is not wrapping her wrist anymore, so there should be no problems in letting her work in the kitchen, but how can Damon miss the opportunity to get some benefits?
"Two conditions.", he said after some time, gaining Talia's full attention.
Damon raised his index finger. "I get to taste what you make. Whatever you make for yourself, you will make for me as well."
"Sure!", Talia agreed enthusiastically. "But I must warn you that I'm not good at cooking so it might taste horrible until I get the hang of it."
Damon stifled a laugh. So many women around him are trying to impress him by portraying themselves in perfect light, yet here is Talia, warning him that she was not good at cooking.
"I appreciate your honesty, Talia. In order to prepare myself for what's coming, I will ask Travis to prescribe me some digestion medicine."
Talia made a troubled expression. "I said that it might taste bad, not that I will poison you."
His sly smile told her that he was teasing her, and she asked quickly, "What's the second condition?"
Damon extended his hand toward her and put it on the table, palm up.
Talia glanced from his hand to his face, not sure what he wants.
"Your hand.", Damon said.
Talia didn't get it. "My hand?"
"I get to hold your hand whenever I want, and you will not complain or ask questions. Do we have a deal?"
Talia had a bad feeling about this, but she couldn't just refuse. After all, she was one step from getting the approval from the scary Alpha that she can work in the kitchen. She will cook and learn and eventually make scrumptious meals, just like the ones she saw in magazines.
"You won't embarrass me?", Talia asked reluctantly.
"Did I ever embarrass you, when someone else was around?"
Talia was about to say that he did, plenty of times, but that second clause made her pause.
It was true. Damon didn't embarrass Talia when someone was around. He would either treat her well or ignore her, and neither of those two counts as embarrassments.
Talia thought how it's not a big deal. It's just holding hands, and if anyone would be embarrassed to see them like that, it should be Damon because Talia is a nobody.
"Deal.", she responded.
Damon's eyebrows shoot up and he glanced at his empty palm that was on the table. "Well?"
Talia realized that he wanted to hold her hand. Like, right now.
She didn't understand what's the big deal with holding hands, but she obeyed.
The moment their hands touched, Damon's fingers moved between Talia's, and his wicked smile told her that she agreed to this rashly.
"Why did you ask to hold my hand?"
"It feels good.", Damon responded without missing a beat. "Does it feel good for you?"
Talia looked at their connected hands and she had to admit that it feels good. Is it because his hand is so big, or strong, or warm, or because it's his? Would it feel this good if someone else was holding her hand? Talia was not sure because no one ever held her hand like that.
"It's OK.", she responded in a small voice.
"Just OK?", he asked, and his thumb moved slowly over her thumb, that gentle touch made her hairs stand on ends.
"I'm not sure what are you expecting me to say.", Talia said weakly.
"The truth, Talia. That's the only thing I expect from you."
There was something in his tone and the whole situation that made her heart skip a beat.
"It feels good.", she whispered while hoping that the dim lighting in the restaurant was concealing her definitely red cheeks.
